


Diving In

by AngryLittleShark (thePetetoherPatrick)



Category: Free!
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 10:29:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15749865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thePetetoherPatrick/pseuds/AngryLittleShark
Summary: “What do you mean what’s wrong? I’m an idiot.” Rin frowned at him and moved away from the touch.





	Diving In

Rin sat quietly, dangling his feet in the still cold pool, looking at the open night sky. He didn’t know how to fix what he’d done. He wanted so much to take back the words that had spilled out of his mouth. In his heart he didn’t mean any of them. It made his heart feel tight in his chest and his eyes burn so much he had to blink to make it stop but instead he felt tears trail their way down his face. The breeze felt abrasive against the now damp skin on his face. The night kept playing back in his head as if to mock him. He gritted his teeth and wiped at his face. He jumped a little when he heard the door behind him and then the splash of someone jumping into the pool. He looked over and saw a pile of clothes sitting at the other end of the pool. He looked into the water to see Haru lazily kicking through the water. Rin’s heart felt even heavier. He looked at his knees and shook his head. He would give anything to go back and shove a sock in his own mouth to stop him saying what he did.

 

“I’m so stupid.” He mumbled to himself and looked back at the sky to avoid seeing Haru. He closed his eyes and tried to push the feeling away. Tears spilled over his cheeks again and he couldn’t stop it. He felt a cold wet hand on his knee and he looked down to see Haru looking up at him, with an expression of pure confusion. “What?”

 

“What’s wrong?” Haru asked barely above a whisper.

 

“What do you mean what’s wrong? I’m an idiot.” Rin frowned at him and moved away from the touch.

 

“Why? Because of what you said?” Haru pulled himself up out of the pool to sit beside Rin, who nodded and refused to look at Haru. “I know you didn’t mean it. I could see the regret and pain on your face after you said it.”

 

“How can you be so…?”

 

“Well, did you mean it?” Haru looked at him impatiently.

 

“No.” Rin said without hesitation and Haru looked at him pointedly. Rin looked at his feet again and bit at his lip trying not to let anymore of the tears spill. He wasn’t going to cry now, not with Haru sitting there looking at him like that.

 

“Why then?” Haru leaned into his shoulder a little.

 

“Because it’s easier to have you hate me.” Rin whispered and closed his eyes tight.

 

“But I don’t. I never did. Not really. I was angry, yes, but I never hated you, Rin.” Haru’s voice was gentle and comforting but Rin couldn’t let himself believe the words.

 

“After everything, how could you not hate me?”

 

“Because…” He sighed and placed his hand over Rin’s. “Because I love you, Rin. You are too dense to see that but I do.”

 

Rin looked up at him in shock and was met with only fondness in Haru’s eyes. “Haru…how…”

 

“I was angry because you left, and because when you came back you’d changed so much I thought I’d lost the Rin that I’d loved.” Haru looked down and Rin’s heart tightened.

 

“You never lost me…like I said, it felt easier for you to hate me.”

 

“As opposed to what?” Haru furrowed his brows and looked at Rin in concern.

 

“Having to admit…” Rin shook his head. “Easier than having to admit that I loved you too and how horrible I felt for leaving.”

 

“You left to go to school, you were following your dream…”

 

“But I wasn’t, I was following the broken mess of my father’s dream. I thought I could do it and when I couldn’t I hated myself for ever leaving in the first place.” Rin couldn’t hold back the tears.

 

“Well…what’s your dream?” Haru nudged him encouragingly.

 

“I…I don’t know.” Rin shook his head and cried a little harder as he lost the control he’d been fighting to keep. Haru made a little choked noise and Rin felt his arms wrap tightly around him. Rin leaned into him and turned to hide his face against Haru’s shoulder.

 

“You can always find your dream…and if you want me to I’ll be there to help you until you do find it.” Haru whispered gently and held Rin as he sobbed quietly, rubbing his back soothingly and murmuring reassuringly to him.

 

“How can you still care about me this much?” Rin said in a strangled voice, muffled against Haru’s shoulder.

 

“Because you’re still you. Underneath the nonsense and the act you’ve been putting on, you’re still Rin. Stubborn and an emotional wreck.” Haru chuckled lightly and Rin froze. Haru didn’t laugh much and yet the sound was so familiar to him. It gave him that warm feeling in every vein in his body, he loved it. He lifted himself away from Haru and studied his face for a minute. He was still the same, cold on the surface but gentle and caring beneath the surface if you could get that far. Always the loving free spirit that not many got to see.

 

“I love you too, Haru. I always did. I’m so sorry.” Rin fought back the tears again. “For everything that’s happened.”

 

“I forgave you the minute I saw you again.” Haru smiled gently and it made Rin’s heart flutter. He leaned down and kissed him firmly on the lips, melting into it as Haru kissed him back. When they broke apart it felt like all the pain and tension had melted away from Rin. He felt light and happier than he’d been in so long.

 

“Swim with me?” Rin smiled a little and Haru nodded happily at him before jumping back into the pool and turning to look at Rin as he waited for him to join him. Rin pulled his shirt over his head and jumped into the cold water. Haru smiled and dove into the water, swimming away from Rin but beckoning him to follow so he did. They didn’t race, they just swam. Feeling the water and each other’s energy in the water. It was the most comforting thing. They didn’t have to speak. Makoto may be able to read Haru’s mind and speak for him but Rin could feel what Haru was trying to tell him and it comforted him. It was an easy feeling and one he was ready to dive into head first.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm always online somewhere if you wanna chat or talk stories or art.  
> you can find me @ thePetetoherPat on Twitter, thepetetoherpatrick.tumblr.com, and @ xo_thepetetoherpatrick_xo on Instagram ^-^  
> I also post drawings on Instagram @ punkwithapenart


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